U.S. patent number 8,844,163 [Application Number 13/211,566] was granted by the patent office on 2014-09-30 for laundry treating machine with basement portion providing airflow paths.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Electrolux Home Products Corporation N.V.. The grantee listed for this patent is Deborah Palazzin, Fabio Pasut, Luciana Riccardi, Alessandro Vian. Invention is credited to Deborah Palazzin, Fabio Pasut, Riccardo Quaroni, Alessandro Vian.
United States Patent |
8,844,163 |
Palazzin , et al. |
September 30, 2014 |
Laundry treating machine with basement portion providing airflow
paths
Abstract
A laundry treating machine includes a basement portion (14)
having an upper side (17) with seats (18A-18F) formed thereon for
receiving machine operational devices (5), and a lower side (16),
opposite to the upper side (17). The lower side (16) forms an air
path for air to be admitted into or exhausted from the machine.
Inventors: |
Palazzin; Deborah (Pordenone,
IT), Vian; Alessandro (Meduna di Livenza,
IT), Pasut; Fabio (Pordenone, IT), Quaroni;
Riccardo (Arzene, IT) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Palazzin; Deborah
Vian; Alessandro
Pasut; Fabio
Riccardi; Luciana |
Pordenone
Meduna di Livenza
Pordenone
Arzene |
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A |
IT
IT
IT
IT |
|
|
Assignee: |
Electrolux Home Products
Corporation N.V. (Brussel, BE)
|
Family
ID: |
43608744 |
Appl.
No.: |
13/211,566 |
Filed: |
August 17, 2011 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20120049704 A1 |
Mar 1, 2012 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Aug 25, 2010 [EP] |
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10173931 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
34/603; 34/233;
34/139 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F
58/20 (20130101); F26B 25/14 (20130101); F26B
21/004 (20130101); D06F 39/12 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
D06F
58/10 (20060101); D06F 58/20 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;34/603,604,605,139,225,233 ;312/236 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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10 2005 013051 |
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Sep 2006 |
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DE |
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10 2006 023952 |
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Nov 2006 |
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DE |
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10 2006 005809 |
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Aug 2007 |
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DE |
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0 344 434 |
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Jun 1989 |
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EP |
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1103648 |
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May 2001 |
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EP |
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1 508 636 |
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Feb 2005 |
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EP |
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1 548 178 |
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Jun 2005 |
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EP |
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1 925 712 |
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May 2008 |
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EP |
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2 163 681 |
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Mar 2010 |
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EP |
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2 166 145 |
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Mar 2010 |
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EP |
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2 145 206 |
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Mar 1985 |
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GB |
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2145206 |
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Mar 1985 |
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GB |
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01242098 |
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Sep 1989 |
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JP |
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2001-070697 |
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Mar 2001 |
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JP |
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Other References
Extended European Search Report issued on Mar. 22, 2011 in related
European Application No. 10173929.0. cited by applicant .
Extended European Search Report issued on Feb. 16, 2011 in related
European Application No. 1017393.9. cited by applicant .
Non-Final Office Action mailed Jun. 27, 2013 in related U.S. Appl.
No. 13/211,628. cited by applicant .
Non-Final Office Action mailed Jun. 25, 2013 in related U.S. Appl.
No. 13/211,592. cited by applicant .
Non-Final Office Action mailed Jun. 19, 2012 in related U.S. Appl.
No. 13/211,592. cited by applicant .
Final Office Action mailed Dec. 18, 2012 in related U.S. Appl. No.
13/211,592. cited by applicant .
Final Office Action mailed Dec. 16, 2013 in related U.S. Appl. No.
13/211,592. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Lu; Jiping
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Banner & Witcoff, Ltd
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A laundry treating machine comprising a basement portion
partitioned into an upper side with seats formed thereon, upon
which are seated machine operational devices including an
air-receiving heat exchanger, and a lower side, opposite to and
below the upper side, wherein said lower side forms two portions of
an air flow path for cooling air to be admitted into and exhausted
from said machine, respectively, said air flow path extending on
said upper side, between said two portions, through said
air-receiving heat exchanger, said two portions extending,
respectively, to an air inlet opening on said lower side for
admitting said cooling air into said machine and an air outlet
opening on said lower side for exhausting said cooling air from
said machine.
2. A laundry treating machine according to claim 1, wherein a
bottom wall is associated to said lower side of said basement such
that hollow spaces are formed therein to define said two portions
of said air flow path.
3. A laundry treating machine according to claim 2, wherein said
air inlet opening is formed in said bottom wall.
4. A laundry treating machine according to claim 2, wherein said
hollow spaces are separated from each other by a partition
wall.
5. A laundry treating machine according to claim 4, wherein the air
flow directions along said two portions of said air flow path are
opposite to each other.
6. A laundry treating machine according to claim 1, wherein a said
air inlet opening is provided on a front wall of an outer casing of
the laundry treating machine.
7. A laundry treating machine according to claim 1, wherein said
air outlet opening is provided on a front wall of an outer casing
of the laundry treating machine.
8. A laundry treating machine according to claim 1, wherein a
conveyor is provided for conveying said cooling air from said lower
side to said upper side, reversing a direction of air flow from the
lower side to the upper side.
9. A laundry treating machine according to claim 8, wherein said
conveyor comprises an inner transverse section surface area which
gradually increases from said the lower side to the upper side so
as to create a Venturi effect.
10. A laundry treating machine according to claim 8, wherein a
bottom wall is associated to said lower side of said basement such
that hollow spaces are formed therein to define said two portions
of said air flow path, and said conveyor is arranged
perpendicularly relative to the bottom wall and is removably
attached to said wall by means of a spring clip.
11. A laundry treating machine according to claim 1, wherein said
operational devices further comprise at least one of the following:
a motor, a fluid compressor, a fluid condenser and/or evaporator,
and a portion of a heat pump circuit.
12. A laundry treating machine according to claim 1, wherein covers
are provided for closing said seats.
13. A laundry treating machine according to claim 1, wherein said
machine is a laundry dryer or a washing-drying appliance.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to European Application No.
10173931.6, filed on Aug. 25, 2010.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Laundry treating machines capable of carrying out a drying process
on laundry generally comprise a casing that houses a laundry
container, like a rotating drum, where laundry to be treated is
received, a basement portion having seats for receiving machine
operational devices, and an air circuit for carrying out drying
operation by circulating hot air through the laundry container. Air
circulating means and heating means are provided in the air circuit
for circulating and heating drying air, respectively. In condenser
type dryers, condensing means are further provided in the air
circuit for removing moisture from drying air passing through
articles to be treated thereby allowing said air to be recirculated
cyclically within the air circuit. Moisture removed from articles
is either collected in a tank periodically emptied by a user or it
is directly exhausted by a pipe connected to a waste water net.
Washing-drying appliances, i.e. appliances provided for performing
articles washing and drying operations in a single machine are also
known and generally comprise a water circuit including pumping
means for allowing washing water to be supplied to a laundry
treating chamber and a drying arrangement as described before for
drying laundry.
In the following description the invention will be disclosed with
particular reference to a machine suitable for carrying out a
drying operation on laundry such as a laundry drying machine or a
washing-drying machine. However, in general, principles of the
invention may be applied to a laundry treating appliance, for
example in cases when an air flow is needed to cool machine
operating devices or part thereof.
In a known condenser type laundry dryer, means for condensing
moisture removed by articles are configured in many different ways.
Typical examples comprise an air-air heat exchanger or an
evaporator of a heat pump circuit incorporated within the dryer.
Such condensing means or components thereof require cooling in
order to constantly provide a cold surface where wet drying air can
be condensed or to remove heat produced by said components, like a
compressor in a heat pump circuit. Normally, air taken from dryer
machine surroundings is used as cooling means of a condenser or
components thereof. For this reason a plurality of conduits are
provided on the lower portion of the laundry treating machine and,
generally, a basement portion is appropriately designed to form at
least a portion of cooling conduits.
In prior art laundry drying machines such cooling conduits are
generally formed on the upper side of machine basement, i.e. on the
basement side facing the laundry container. However such
construction is particularly disadvantageous because it complicates
the arrangement of further machine operating devices like air
pumping means, motor means and so on. A further drawback of such
prior art laundry drying machines exists in that the position of
air conduits on the basement upper side causes the air ports on
machine casing walls to be either placed at a high position
relative to the machine resting surface or to be placed on lower
region of casing lateral wall by complicatedly connecting them with
air conduits. This arrangement leads to an efficiency reduction and
therefore an increase in power losses.
Another drawback of prior art laundry drying machines as described
above is high noise produced by cooling air circulating through
conduits having complex and tortuous paths.
SUMMARY OF SELECTED INVENTIVE ASPECTS
An aim of the present invention is therefore to solve the noted
drawbacks and thus provide a laundry treating machine having an
improved basement arrangement.
An object of the present invention is to provide a laundry treating
machine with a basement having a more compact and rational design
that improves the arrangement of machine operational devices
thereon.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a laundry
treating machine suitable for carrying out a drying process on
laundry having an improved performance in cooling condensing means
and/or components thereof, said laundry treating machine ensuring
an efficient cooling air flow.
A further object of the invention is to provide a laundry treating
machine producing a low noise during working operation compared to
laundry treating machines of known type.
Another object of the invention is to provide a laundry treating
machine which is easy to be assembled.
Advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set
forth in part in the description and drawings which follow and in
part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art
upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice
of the invention.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a laundry treating machine comprising a basement portion having an
upper side with seats formed thereon for receiving machine
operational devices, and a lower side, opposite the upper side,
characterized in that the lower side forms an air path for air to
be admitted into or exhausted from the machine.
Preferably, a bottom wall is associated to the lower side of
basement such that at least one hollow space is formed therein to
define the air path.
Preferably, an air passage is formed on the bottom wall.
Preferably, the at least one hollow space comprises a partition
forming separated air conduits.
Preferably, the air flows along the separated air conduits are in
opposite directions.
Preferably, the separated air conduits comprise, respectively, a
fluid inlet opening and a fluid outlet opening.
Preferably, a fluid inlet opening is provided on a front wall of a
casing.
Preferably, an outlet fluid opening is provided on the front wall
of a casing.
Preferably, the upper side of the basement directs the air path
towards the operational devices, the air path lying on different
height levels of the basement.
Preferably, a conveyor is provided for reversing the air path from
one of the levels to the other.
Preferably, the conveyor comprises an inner transverse section
surface area which gradually increases from one of the layers to
the other so as to create a Venturi effect.
Preferably, the conveyor is arranged perpendicularly relative to
the bottom wall and it is removably attached to the wall by means
of a spring clip.
Preferably, the air path comprises a cooling air open-circuit for
cooling at least a part of the operational devices comprise at
least one of the following: motor means, fluid compressing means,
heat exchanging means, fluid condensing and/or evaporating means,
and a portion of a heat pump circuit.
Preferably, covers are provided for closing the seats formed on the
basement portion.
Preferably, the upper side of the basement forms a further air path
for the air to pass through/over the operational device(s), the air
path and the further air path extending at opposite sides of the
basement.
Preferably, the laundry treating machine is a laundry dryer or a
washing-drying appliance.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further
understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an embodiment
of the invention and together with the description serve to explain
the principles of the invention. Like reference numbers represent
like features throughout the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective bottom view of a laundry treating
machine according to the invention with an upright side wall
removed;
FIG. 2 shows a perspective sectional view of a basement of the
laundry treating machine illustrated in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a rear sectional view of air pumping means and
condensing means arranged on the laundry treating machine basement
illustrated in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 shows a perspective sectional view of the laundry treating
machine basement of FIG. 2 from a reverse angle view.
FIG. 5 shows a perspective bottom view of the laundry treating
machine basement of FIG. 2 where a bottom wall portion has been
removed;
FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of an attachment between an air flow
conveyor and a bottom wall of the laundry treating machine basement
illustrated in FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 shows a partially exploded view of the laundry treating
machine basement illustrated in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
With reference to FIG. 1, a laundry treating machine according to
the invention comprises a casing 1 formed by two couples of upright
side walls 2 arranged perpendicularly of one another, one wall
being on the treating machine rear part and another on the front
part, and the two remaining walls being on the lateral sides
thereof. In FIG. 1, one of the lateral side walls has been removed
for showing some of the laundry treating machine operational
devices 5 accommodated within casing 1. An upper wall portion 3 and
a bottom wall portion 4 close the ends of the box-like structure
formed by the upright side walls 2 joined together.
A laundry container 6 comprising a drum (not shown) rotatably
mounted in a tub 7 is provided within the casing 1. A front door 8,
pivotally coupled to the front upright side wall 2, is provided for
allowing access to the drum interior region to place laundry to be
treated therein. An extractable moisture tank in the form of a
drawer 9 is slidably arranged on the top of the casing 1, for being
periodically emptied by a user in case the laundry treating machine
cannot be connected to a waste water net through a pipe. A user
control interface 10 is arranged on the top of the casing 1 near
the drawer 9 for input of laundry treatment programs and displaying
machine working conditions.
On a bottom portion of the casing 1 and preferably in its front
upright side wall 2 an air passage 11 is provided for draining air
from/to the laundry treating machine. In the exemplary embodiment
of the invention disclosed in the Figures, air passage 11 is
divided into two portions 11A, 11B for allowing cooling air to
enter and exit the casing 1, as indicated by arrows "I" and "O" in
FIG. 1, in order to cool condensing means arranged in a drying air
circuit passing through the laundry container 6 for removing
moisture from said drying air. If desired, portions 11A and 11B of
air passage 11 may be arranged on different upright side walls 2
other than the laundry treating machine front wall.
According to an embodiment of the invention, an air passage 12 is
formed as an opening 37 in the bottom wall portion 4. Such air
passage 12 is always accessible to air because the bottom wall 4
extends in a position that is spaced apart and substantially
parallel to a floor on which the laundry treating machine is
placed. The distance between bottom wall 4 and a floor is
determined in an adjustable manner through vertically adjustable
supports 13 (only two of them are shown in FIG. 1) placed under the
casing 1. The bottom wall portion 4 comprises a sheet that is
removably mounted onto a lower side 16 of (i.e. under) a basement
14 which is preferably made of polymeric material. The lower side
16 and the bottom wall portion 4 delimit a hollow space 38 adapted
to convey air inside the machine and/or to discharge air outside
the machine.
In particular, bottom wall 4 rests on the same level of a lower
edge 39 of basement 14 that surrounds a hollow space 38 upwardly
limited by surfaces placed on a higher level relative to edge 39.
On an upper side 17 of the basement 14, seats 18A-18F are formed
for receiving therein operational devices 5 of the laundry treating
machine, like condensing means (condenser) 19, air pumping means
(pump) 20, motor means (motor) for powering air pumping means 20
and other functional devices for operating laundry treating machine
to carry out a drying treatment on laundry as, for example, heat
pump circuit components (not shown in FIG. 1) like fluid
compressing means (compressor), heat exchanging means (heat
exchanger), fluid condensing and/or evaporating means (condenser
and/or evaporator). In practice, basement 14 comprises a lower side
16 forming at least a portion of a first air path wherein the air
is drawn in from outside the machine and/or the air is exhausted
outside the machine and further comprises an upper side 17 forming
at least a portion of a second air path that passes through one or
more of said operational devices 5.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the bottom wall portion 4 is associated
under the basement 14 facing the lower side 16 of the latter, said
bottom wall 4 substantially covers the hollow space 38 formed in
the lower side 16 of basement 14 thereby forming an inlet conduit
15 for conveying air entering the laundry treating machine through
air passages 11A, 12 as shown by arrows "I" and "II". Such conduit
15 has a lower surface 15A defined by the bottom wall 4 and upper
surfaces 15B that are defined by the basement 14 itself through the
surfaces upwardly limiting the hollow space 38 formed in the
basement 14 lower side 16. If desired, air passage 12 in the bottom
portion 14 may be the only aperture for allowing fluid
communication between the environment where the laundry treating
machine is installed and an air path circulating within said
machine. In particular, air passage 12 may be in fluid
communication with a laundry treatment air flow path, such as the
drying air passing through the drum.
Conduit 15 sucks air taken from outside by pumping means 20 for
cooling condensing means 19 resting within seat 18A. Pumping means
20 are powered though an electric motor (not shown) housed in the
seat 18B which is formed in the upper side 17 of basement 14. Said
motor powers also further pumping means (not shown) that are
arranged coaxially with pumping means 20 and received within seat
18D to circulate drying air through the laundry container 6. Motor
means are interposed between pumping means 20 and those for
circulating drying air. Rotational axis of the electric motor shaft
extends parallel to the air flow path within conduit 15.
Pumping means 20, that preferably comprises a centrifugal fan, are
arranged on a level of the basement 14 that extends just over
conduit 15 that rests on a lower level, therefore air path along
conduit 15 is reversed and lead to said level by means of a
conveyor 21 arranged between the air inlet port of pumping means 20
and conduit 15. Conveyor 21 is preferably made of felt and it is
designed to reduce flow resistance when the air reverses its path
of about 180 degrees increasing its height relative to the floor
where the laundry treating machine rests. In this way performance
of the laundry treating machine is not negatively affected, while
an improved compactness in distributing operational devices on the
basement 14 may be achieved. More specifically, conveyor 21 may be
made by conferring the desired shape to a felt sheet of appropriate
thickness and density. Such a construction can be beneficial for
lowering noise in a point of the air circuit where air changes
direction. The use of felt sheeting can facilitate the assembly of
the conveyor to the basement body because the shaped felt remains
sufficiently pliable/deformable, and thus lower production
costs.
In FIG. 6 it is shown in detail a configuration of conveyor 21 and
its attachment to the bottom wall 4. Conveyor 21 comprises an
elongated cup-like body 22 having two opposite ends 23, 24
respectively adapted to be joined to a section of conduit 15 and to
an air inlet port of pumping means 20. Said ends 23, 24 are linked
each other by walls 25A, 25B, that cooperate with basement 14 to
create a Venturi effect in the air flowing outside conduit 15 and
entering pumping means 20 through conveyor 21. For this aim, the
inner transverse section surface area of said conveyor 21 gradually
increases from the conveyor inlet port to be associated with
conduit 15 to the conveyor outlet port to be associated with
pumping means 20. Therefore while passing through conveyor 21, air
increases its pressure and reduces its speed. A portion 26 (see
FIGS. 1 and 3) of the basement 14 forms at least a part of a volute
31 and an air inlet port for pumping means 20 and it extends
between ends 23, 24 thereby defining two separate ports for
admitting and draining air from conveyor 21. As can be seen in FIG.
7, volute 31 is formed by portion 26 of basement 14 and by a cover
32 which is removably attached to portion 26 through snap-fit
fasteners 33 (FIG. 3) thereby closing seat 18C. Even though it is
not shown in the Figures, a similar arrangement is also provided
for pumping means received within seat 18D to circulate drying air
through the laundry container 6.
Conveyor 21 is arranged perpendicularly relative to bottom wall 4
and it is removably attached to said wall 4 by means of a spring
clip 27 provided with protruding portions 27A, 27B that can be
received within slots 28A, 28B formed onto the bottom wall 4 and
within slots 29A formed onto a base member 30 in a position
corresponding to that of slots 28A. When in locking condition,
spring clip 27 extends over the base member 30 with its protruding
portions 27A and under the bottom wall 4 with its protruding
portion 27B. Base member 30 lies over the bottom wall 4 on the
lower surface 15A of conduit 15. In order to tightly seal conveyor
21 onto the conduit 15 outlet section and the air inlet port of
pumping means 20, a gasket may be over-injected on the edges of
conveyor 21 that join conduit 15 and the edge of portion 26
defining the air inlet port of pumping means 20.
Air sucked by pumping means 20 is output centrifugally from the
latter and directed towards condensing means 19 as shown by arrows
in FIG. 2. Preferably, condensing means 19 are in the form of an
air-air cross-flow type heat exchanger When air passes through
condensing means 19 its path lies on an upper level compared to the
air flowing within conduit 15. Even the flow direction of air
within conduit 15 is substantially perpendicular to that of air
flowing through condensing means 19. Seat 18A, that houses
condensing means 19, is shaped to diffuse air coming out from
pumping means 20 to the whole surface of condensing means 19.
In FIG. 3 it is shown from a rear sectional view of the basement 14
the air path flowing through condensing means 19 and then
downwardly towards bottom wall 4. Air that exits condensing means
19 is guided from said upper side 17 to a lower side 16 of basement
14 by means of a conduit portion, or conveyor, 40 formed in the
basement 14, for example by joining a cover to a upper side 17 of
basement 14. Conveyor 40 may have the same features of conveyor 21,
i.e. they may be substantially identical. Air conveyed by conduit
portion 40 is also reversed in its flow direction of about 180
degrees and it is then received in an outlet conduit 34 which is
formed in a manner similar to inlet conduit 15, i.e. by a lower
surface 34A defined by the bottom wall 4 and an upper surface 34B
that is defined by the basement 14 itself through the surface
upwardly limiting a further hollow space 38 formed in the basement
14 lower side 16. Another view of the air path leaving condensing
means 19 for entering outlet conduit 34 is shown in FIG. 4 where
outlet conduit 34 has been partly cut away and in FIG. 5 where the
bottom wall 4 has been removed. Outlet conduit 34 and inlet conduit
15 are separated and substantially tightly sealed by a partition 35
(FIGS. 3 and 5) that extends downwardly (i.e. towards bottom wall
4) from joining region between upper surface 15B of inlet conduit
15 and upper surface 34B of outlet conduit 34. Upper surfaces 15B,
34B and partition 35 are made integrally, i.e. as a unitary body,
such as a single-piece construction by molding.
Outlet conduit 34 leads air from condensing means 19 to exit
laundry treating machine through an outlet air passage 11B as
indicated by arrow "O" in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. Air coming out from air
passage 11B hardly affects temperature of cooling air sucked into
the laundry treating machine thanks to the provision of an air
passage 12 in the bottom wall 4. In fact, provision of air passage
12 as the sole or auxiliary air inlet port ensures to provide the
laundry treating machine with air in the conditions as it is in the
environment where said machine is placed.
FIG. 7 further illustrates how the basement 14 can be assembled
with conveyor 21 and further covers 32, 36 to house operational
devices of laundry treating machine. Cover 36, in particular, is
removably joined preferably by snap-fit means in the front upper
part of the basement 14 to direct drying air flow from the
condensing means 19 to the laundry container 6. Assembling
operation of laundry treating machine, and, in general of its
operational devices, may be greatly simplified and made more
compact.
Preferably, the upper surfaces 15B, 34B of the basement 14 can
comprise one or more opening so as to direct a part of the air
flowing along the lower side 16 of the basement 14 into at least
one of the seats 18A-18F for cooling purpose, for example to cool
an electric motor or heat pump circuit components.
A laundry treating machine according to an aspect of the invention
has an efficient arrangement for its basement portion which
enhances layout of operational devices and air path formed thereon.
Thanks to the inventive basement arrangement, noise produced by a
laundry treating machine for moving air mass can be greatly
lowered, thereby allowing the machine to be placed and operated
close to rooms where, and at times (e.g., during night hours) that,
low noise or silence is required.
The present invention can be applied to any type of laundry
treating machine, such as a condenser-type laundry dryer and
open-circuit laundry dryers, or to washing machines.
* * * * *